Sunday, August 3, 2014

Bodie, CA

Yesterday we drove to Bodie, CA. The town is located about 220 miles East of us, near the Nevada border. It is a "Ghost Town" that has been maintained in a state of arrested decay. Bodie started off as a mining camp in 1859. By 1879 it had a population of 10,000. Thirty three years later they printed their last newspaper. The town was labeled a Ghost Town in 1915. When you hear of their difficulties (20ft of snow, winters as cold at -30°F) as well as the violence and illness, it is a wonder they lasted as long as they did.

Today only about five percent of the buildings Bodie contained during its heyday remain. I am grateful to the people who have maintained this land and have allowed the park to stay open so we (and the 200,000 other annual visitors) are able to walk in the footsteps of these men and women. After driving through the mountains, I cannot express how much in awe I am of anyone traveling this land during the late 1800's!

This is only one of a very few shots from the car of the mountains I was able to get. No picture would ever be able to capture how small you feel around such a magnificent mountain range.